Hart sentenced for third degree assault

Kenneth Myron Hart Jr., 33, Little Falls, was convicted July 7 of felony third degree assault.
The conviction came from a Dec. 1 incident in which law enforcement was dispatched to a domestic situation at a residence in Royalton. Officers arrived at the scene and met with Hart, who appeared to have blood on his shirt, which he said was because he had tripped and cut his lip. Hart said he knew nothing about a fight. The victim was not in the residence.
The victim was found at a nearby gas station, and observed to have dried blood around her mouth and a bruise on her eye.
The victim alleged that Hart had repeatedly punched her and had also hit her with a propane tank. The victim said Hart prevented her from calling police, but that someone else stopped by the house and called 911, at which point the victim was able to flee.
The victim was later taken to the hospital, where staff reported that she had suffered a broken nose, bruised eye and swollen scalp.
As part of a plea bargain, two felony second degree assault charges and a felony domestic assault charge were dropped.
Hart was sentenced to two years in prison at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud and fined a total of $3,253.80, which included $3,118.80 in restitution.